Adaptive RF Amplifier Supply Switching for Lower Power Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional radio frequency amplifiers experience power dissipation issues due to higher supply voltages, which current techniques fail to address effectively by adjusting electric current or bias voltage alone.
Innovation Solution
An adaptive power supply system for radio frequency amplifiers, incorporating multiple power supply terminals, capacitors, and switches that allow the amplifier to select between different supply voltages based on output requirements, reducing power dissipation by switching between lower and higher voltages as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the supply voltage is increased to prevent output signal nonlinearity, then the reliability of the output signal is improved, but the power dissipation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply voltage is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The system switches between a first power supply voltage and a second power supply voltage based on the amplitude of the output signal, allowing the voltage to adapt to different operating conditions and reducing unnecessary power dissipation while maintaining signal linearity when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the power supply voltage parameter based on output signal characteristics. When the output signal amplitude exceeds a threshold, the system switches to a higher voltage to maintain linearity; when the amplitude is within acceptable limits, it switches to a lower voltage to reduce power dissipation
2Loss of energy
If the supply voltage is reduced to decrease power dissipation, then the energy efficiency is improved, but the output signal may become nonlinear
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors the output signal amplitude and uses this feedback to control the power supply voltage selection. When the output amplitude exceeds a predetermined threshold, the system responds by switching to a higher voltage to prevent nonlinearity, thus using feedback to maintain signal quality while optimizing power consumption
3Power
If the number of enabled amplifying units is increased to improve output capability, then the power output is improved, but the power dissipation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the power supply voltage based on the actual power output requirements. By switching between different voltage levels according to the output signal amplitude, the system can provide high power output when needed while reducing power dissipation during low-power operation, avoiding the need to continuously operate at high power levels
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an apparatus including a radio frequency amplifying circuit, a power supply circuit, and a bias generating circuit. The power supply circuit includes: a first power supply terminal coupled to a first ground terminal via a first capacitor and coupled to/decoupled from the radio frequency amplifying circuit through a first switch; and a second power supply terminal coupled to a second ground terminal via a second capacitor and coupled to/decoupled from the radio frequency amplifying circuit through a second switch, wherein the first capacitor and second capacitor are coupled to/decoupled from the radio frequency amplifying circuit through the first switch and second switch respectively, the supply voltages outputted from the two power supply terminals are different, and the two switches are not concurrently turned on. The radio frequency amplifying circuit operates according to a bias voltage provided by the bias generating circuit and one of the two supply voltages.